The team at MND is constantly discussing and debating what level of detail we think our readers would like to know with respect to Mexican political leaders and political issues in general in the country. Our original thinking was that many people already living or having interest in Mexico probably have had enough of politics in their home countries and as a result would have little interest in whats going on politically in Mexico. I remember once telling the team “no political coverage other than the president, and even that coverage should be very limited.”
That being said, our thinking has evolved in the past year as the political landscape in Mexico and the world have changed. There were in fact three key events that led to a step change in our readers’ level of interest. The first was during the 2024 Mexican presidential election. Once the field of candidates was narrowed down to two women, Xóchitl Gálvez and Claudia Sheinbaum, our readers increasingly wanted to learn more about each of them.
The second key event was when Sheinbaum won the election and assumed the presidency in October of last year. Our readers took increased interest in our daily mañanera press conference summary of what Sheinbaum and her team were talking about and focusing on. The third event was when Trump won the election in the United States and began talking about very specific actions that he would take against Mexico on everything from deportations and cartels to the border and tariffs.
We think that there is an increasing recognition on both sides of the border that our challenges cannot be solved — and our opportunities cannot be realized — without close cooperation between the two countries. Can the U.S. really become less reliant on China without Mexico’s help? Can Mexico solve the drug/cartel problems without help from the U.S.? Can the U.S. stop immigrants at the southern border without Mexico’s help? Can either country fully realize its potential without the help of the other? We strongly believe that the answer is increasingly: NO.
In response to this, we now dedicate several articles a day to the political and economic discussion and debate between Mexico and the United States. Every weekday, we have a brief, easy-to-read summary of what President Sheinbaum and her administration are focused on. In addition, on many days we have a summary of what President Trump has said about Mexico and how Sheinbaum is responding to it. Whether or not we like the increasingly accelerated and ever-changing news cycle, it is a reality and we are committed to helping you understand the latest developments and impacts.
As a direct result of this increased interest that we are seeing from our readers, we are now expanding our coverage to include additional reporting on other key players beyond President Sheinbaum that we think our readers need to know about.
We are very cognizant of the fatigue and anxiety that many people have from the hyper-accelerated news cycle over the past few months and our intention is obviously not to add to that. However, there are some important and influential people shaping news and events in Mexico that we want to share with you. The team at MND promises to be very clear on why these people are important and why they are relevant to you.
You will see that we are adding new team members as well as introducing new formats. Just in the past few weeks, María Meléndez, an experienced journalist and video content producer based right in the heart of Mexico City, has taken on a new project at MND. María has her finger on the economic and political pulse of the country, and she’s now leading a team that has produced four different article/short video reports on key leaders in Mexico, including but not limited to Sheinbaum.
The first was on Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican Minister of Economy and point person for Mexico on the tariff negotiations. Maria gives us some background on Ebrard, his experience, and his strategy in the negotiations. You can see the article and video here.
The second topic was in light of World Women’s Day and the terrible issue of femicides in Mexico. Many women in the country have high hopes for change, but feel like the president has not done enough. María digs into what President Sheinbaum already has done and has planned to do to tackle this tragic problem in the country.
The third was a profile of Ronald Johnson, President Trump’s pick for US Ambassador to Mexico. Johnson is an unconventional pick with unique experience that will likely result in a different focus as ambassador than his predecessors. Maria explains how and why to us and based on his background, helps us understand what to expect from the new ambassador.
The fourth and most recent profile was of Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico’s new Secretary of Security and Civilian Protection. Garcia Harfuch has the exceptionally difficult job of trying to improve the country’s security situation. He has been trained by both the CIA and DEA and actually was the victim of an assassination attempt. His role is increasingly in the spotlight given recent comments from the United States. Maria gives us his background and describes the challenges he faces.
Each week we will be bringing you a new leader profile or timely topic to learn about. We hope you enjoy this expanded coverage and we welcome your feedback. The team at Mexico News Daily is committed to being your front row seat to Mexico…..thank you for trusting in our team and supporting what we do.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
